Lobbying groups take a stand

This isn’t the first time CLPI has raised this issue. During the infancy of the Obama administration, several groups met with then-White House Counsel Greg Craig about concerns over the policy, but no changes were made.

Ottinger said he hopes this report gives nonprofits a “second run” at getting the administration to “fix these well-intended but counterproductive rules.”

In addition to securing changes with the administration, which are unlikely to happen in the near term given Obama is ramping up his reelection efforts, CPLI and others believe that the revolving-door ban should be focused on money in politics over who is a registered lobbyist.

CLPI would also like Congress to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 so that it captures business executives, public relations consultants, lawyers and others who are not covered by the law. The group would also like to simplify the Internal Revenue Service’s charitable lobbying rules.

Ottinger added: “Public interest lobbying is not an oxymoron and is needed now more than ever.”

CLPI isn’t the only group looking for changes to the administration’s and Congress’s lobbying definitions.

In August, the ABA formally urged Congress to change the law to capture more lobbyists, detail lobbying activities more in depth and limit the types of campaign contributions lobbyists can give to lawmakers running for reelection.

The American League of Lobbyists, the industry’s trade group, is also preparing to reveal later this fall its own proposal to revamp the law. ALL President Howard Marlowe, founder of Marlowe & Co., said that the group is looking not only at broadening the definition of a lobbyist under the law but also at increasing the onus on lawmakers to report information, particularly with regard to campaign finance laws.

Still, there are some nonprofit and “good government” groups that are sticking by the president. Democracy 21 was one of several reform groups that gave the administration an “A” in January 2010 for its revolving-door ban. Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer said the group still supports the administration’s policy. Common Cause, a group that was part of the report, has begun to take a more nuanced position.

Sarah Dufendach, Common Cause vice president for legislative affairs, said the group is most concerned with the influence of money in the political system and that public-sector lobbyists rarely, if ever, are considered bundlers or are privy to large political action committees in the pay-to-play system.

“I do think there is a difference between lobbyists who are for hire and people who do this where there is no money,” Dufendach said. “Maybe the White House should change the policy a little bit to give nonprofit public-policy lobbyists a little bit more access. I think what it was aimed at doing was getting more unattached, unaffiliated, real, honest opinions by experts in their policy and try to get rid of the whole culture of Washington: If you’ve got a PAC, you’ve got a seat at the table.”